Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Support McGoverns Amendment to Defend SNAP

Support McGoverns Amendment to Defend SNAP

Today, the House
will continue debate on the Farm Bill, H.R. 1947. Rep. Jim McGovern
(D-MA) has introduced an amendment (#146) that would restore the $20.5
billion/10 year cut to SNAP in the Farm Bill. Currently, amendment #146
has over 70 co-sponsors. This
amendment is vital to support those who are hungry.We strongly urge you to contact your
representative today and ask them to support this important amendment.

Call the US Capitol Switchboard (202) 224-3121 and
ask your Representative to support McGoverns Amendment.

I support
Rep. James McGovern's amendment (#146) to restore the $20.5 billion/10 years
cut to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) currently in H.R.
1947. As it stands, we oppose H.R. 1947 because it would increase hunger
among millions of Americans - people with disabilities, children, seniors and
struggling parents - those who work, as well as those who are unemployed or
underemployed.

At a
time when more than one in six Americans struggle to put food on the table, the
cuts to SNAP proposed in the House farm bill are unconscionable and harmful.
Specifically, the House bill would result in at least 1.8 million people losing
SNAP benefits entirely, and another 1.7 million people seeing their benefits
reduced by about $90 per month.

Our
nation can ill afford to see SNAP weakened in the farm bill. Benefits are
modest, averaging less than $1.50 per person per meal and are already scheduled
to drop on November 1, 2013, with termination of the American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act (ARRA) benefit boost. This reduction, which will impact every
SNAP beneficiary, will average about $25 per month for a family of three.

I support Rep.
James McGovern’s amendment (#146) to restore the $20.5 billion cut to SNAP and
urge Members of Congress to vote YES when it comes up for a vote.

About Me

The Presbyterian Office of Public Witness is the public policy information and advocacy office of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Its task is to advocate, and help the church to advocate, the social witness perspectives and policies of the Presbyterian General Assembly. The church has a long history of applying these biblically and theologically-based insights to issues that affect the public — maintaining a public policy ministry in the nation's capital since 1946.
Reformed theology teaches that because a sovereign God is at work in all the world, the church and Christian citizens should be concerned about public policy. In addition, Presbyterian forefather John Calvin wrote, "Civil magistry is a calling not only holy and legitimate, but by far the most sacred and honorable in human life."